Texas A&M ready for College Football Playoff debut at Kyle Field

More than most of his Texas A&M teammates, offensive tackle Demetrious Crownover appreciates how far the Aggies have come. The graduate student from Grandview, Texas, was a redshirt freshman at Aggieland during the disastrous 5-7 season and then the subsequent 7-6 campaign that cost Jimbo Fisher his job in 2023 and led to the Mike Elko era.

Crownover was a true freshman in 2021 when the Aggies finished 8-4 and withdrew from the Gator Bowl as Fisher cited a COVID 19 outbreak to cap a mediocre season.

The Aggies’ struggles and disappointments earlier in Crownover’s career give him a greater appreciation for Texas A&M’s first College Football Playoff game in school history on Saturday against No. 10 Miami at Kyle Field.

“When you walk in the stadium, you take those moments like, ‘Man, we are here. We get to play this game,’” he said. “And then as the game goes closer and closer you start to settle down and lock into what you’ve got to do.”

School history

For the first time in school history, No. 7 Texas A&M is headed to the College Football Playoffs after a dominant 11-1 season.

Since Week 1, the offense has been building confidence and trust that they hope will help against a physical team like Miami. To secure a win, the offense is preparing to stay consistent and physical throughout the game against one of the best defenses in the country.

Miami’s defense is anchored by All-American linemen Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor. That pair is expected to keep pressure on quarterback Marcel Reed.

“From Week 1 to now, I think it’s just a trust in my game that has allowed me to play the way I play,” Crownover said. “And getting ready for a team like Miami, it’s not about who’s going to play the hardest or be the hardest, it’ll be about who knows what their job is and can execute.”

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Miami is 10-2 with losses against Louisville and Southern Methodist.

“We have to know the game plan,” Crownover said. “I think as long as we go into the game and execute the game that our coaches have given us, I think we’ll be perfectly fine.”

Stiff defensive challenge

Running back Rueben Owens II has also had a first-hand look at the Aggies’ improvement since his freshman year. The redshirt sophomore has been a major part of the turnaround. 

After missing most of last season with an injury, Owens leads the Aggies with 618 rushing yards and five touchdowns this year.

After seeing the Aggies succeed against strong defensive teams, Owens said he and the team are ready to face Miami’s strong defense.

Owens has heard some pundits claim that the Aggies will struggle to run the ball against praise Miami.

“I know my guys,” he said. “They’re ready for the challenge. It’s been like that a couple games. Mizzou game, they said they had a good run defense, and we put up over 200 rushing yards. So I just feel that if we just align, do our assignment, put effort in … we’ll get the job done.”

Transfers key offense

Star receivers Mario Craver and KC Concepcion weren’t around for Texas A&M’s recent disappointing seasons. Craver, a sophomore, transferred in from Mississippi State. Concepcion, a junior, transferred from NC State.

“I always wanted to play in the SEC and become this type of player,” said Craver, who was named a Second Team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America. “So it’s just definitely just a 360-moment for me, coming in here and just seeing his vision and being able to do this.”

Craver has been a key contributor. The 5-foot-9, 165-pounder has 825 receiving yards and four touchdowns this year.

Following a lower-body injury last month against Missouri, Craver said he has worked to be 100 percent ahead of the playoff game. 

“Me getting back to 100 percent and back to my full speed is going to help this offense a lot,” Craver said. “And this team knows that. All my teammates know that. I’m glad to be back out there at 100 percent.”

Like Craver, Concepcion transferred to Texas A&M following the 2024 season. Concepcion has quickly become one of the Aggies’ brightest stars. He won the 2025 Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in major college football.

KC Concepcion a triple threat

Concepcion has garnered multiple All-America honors. He was also named to the All-SEC First Team as a receiver, return specialist and all-purpose.

The 5-foot-11, 190-pound junior has a team-high 886 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. He leads the Aggies with a SEC-leading nine receiving touchdowns.

Concepcion also scored two touchdowns on punt returns and one rushing TD. He’s the first Aggie to score touchdowns via those three categories in the same season since at least 1967.

Concepcion led the Aggies in multiple games this year. In the 31-30 comeback victory over South Carolina he had 158 receiving yards.

He has also become an endearing fan favorite while interacting with fans whenever he can.

“We are nothing without our support system, without our fans, without everybody coming to the games and cheering us on,” Concepcion said. “So whenever I can, whenever I have the time, I try and always interact with any and every fan I can interact with because you never know how you can change somebody’s day, change somebody’s life by just simply having an interaction with them.”